Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other
appropriate federal authorities to provide for the permanent
retirement of all great apes that are owned or under the control
of the federal government and that are being maintained in
any facility for the purpose of breeding for, holding for, or
conducting invasive research. Finally, the Act sets forth civil
penalties for violations of its stipulations. At the time of this
writing, the bill was pending in the House Committee on
Energy and Commerce.
In response to a request from the NIH, the Institute of
Medicine, a component of the National Academies, has
undertaken a study to assess the current and anticipated use
of chimpanzees in biomedical and behavioral research
relevant to the mission of the NIH. This study includes an
evaluation of whether chimpanzees are necessary to
obtaining new research findings and it explores potential
alternatives to the use of chimpanzees.
The knowledge gained must be necessary to advance
the public's health:
the German Primate Center for a similar purpose. In the UK
the Academy of Medical Sciences report The Use of
Nonhuman-Primates in Research in 2006 (see section
“United Kingdom” above) examined the scientific case for
the use of nonhuman primates for research into the preven-
tion or treatment of disease. One of its recommendations was
that “stakeholders involved should work together in formu-
lating a national strategic plan for nonhuman primate
research. This should address issues of supply and demand in
the short and longer term and include a re-evaluation of the
organization of nonhuman primate research facilities.” This
was being taken forward by the UK Government and UK
organizations that fund scientific research and currently
academic and government researchers must source rhesus
macaques from a central facility. These facilities are part of
the European Primate Network (see section “European
Primate Network” above) which brings together eight
European primate centers, and other members, whilst
primarily research centers, also assist in supply.
There must be no other research model by which the
knowledge could be obtained, and the research cannot
be ethically performed on human subjects; and
l
Asia
Several nonhuman primate breeding centers of varying
size, and usually associated with a commercial or academic
research or conservation program, are located throughout
Asia.
The animals used in the proposed research must be
maintained either in ethologically appropriate phys-
ical and social environments or in natural habitats.
l
Based on these guiding principles, the committee developed
the following criteria to guide assessment of the necessity of
chimpanzees for NIH-funded biomedical research:
Australia
The National Health and Medical Research Council
(NHMRC) provides Australia's top level support for health
and medical research. NHMRC supports the National Non-
Human Primate Breeding and Research Facility, at Monash
University, to ensure access to macaque monkeys and
marmosets to carry out research and provide a resource in
any national response to pandemics and bioterrorism for
vaccine and response development, and the Baboon colony
at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in New South Wales
provides access to larger nonhuman primates (
http://www.
nhmrc.gov.au/grants/rounds/enable07.htm
).
There is no other suitable model available, such as in
vitro, non-human in vivo, or other models, for the
research in question;
l
The research in question cannot be performed ethi-
cally on human subjects; and
l
Chimpanzees are necessary to accelerate preven-
tion, control, and/or treatment of potentially life-
threatening or debilitating conditions.
l
The NIH accepted the IOM recommendations contained in
the report: Chimpanzees in Biomedical and Behavioral
Research: Assessing the Necessity. The NIH has based its
approach to funding new projects or continuing ongoing
projects with NIH-owned or -supported chimpanzees as well
as the size and placement of active and inactive populations
of chimpanzees on the recommendations of a working group
of the NIH Council of Councils.
TRANSPORT
As noted much research involving nonhuman primates is
often carried out remote from the source of supply of the
animals, necessitating transport, typically by air, as well as
by road. As also noted, those opposed to the use of
nonhuman primates have campaigned against airlines
that transport animals. The US National Research Council
report, Guidelines
Europe
In France the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique's
Station de Primatologie breeds several nonhuman primate
species, as does Universit´ Louis Pasteur's Centre de Pri-
matologie, to support academic and government research.
The Federal Republic of Germany and its federal states funds
for
the Humane Transportation
of Research Animals
(
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?
record_id
11557
) provides general recommendations for
the transport of animals, but also information that
¼
is
specific to nonhuman primates.
